How do you create an adventure when it can be about "anything?"

[TheAlkaizer]

Everyone works differently. But I constantly take notes or snag images, quotes and ideas from most media that I consume.

When I'm hit with a blank page, I go through it and take one thing that inspires me when I set my eyes on it again. Then I put on some appropriate music and try to merge two or three other references to expand the core inspiration. Then, I just work from there.

For example, this week I saw this image on Twitter...

I thought it was really cool and that going in a knight/arturian setting and have one player play someone with a claim over a kingdom in a inheritance crisis would be really cool. I might see it again in three months, take two or three other images that either complement it or clash with it and then build upon that.

The solution to it could be anything is to make it about something as quickly and easily as possible.

 

[prabe]

The solution to it could be anything is to make it about something as quickly and easily as possible.

This. Either narrow things down in the setting, or in the scenario, or ... (quickly) impel the PCs toward doing so. (Where "narrow things down" is consistent with "make it about something.")

 

[aco175]

Here are some cool pictures to help

Nazi zombies

Roll a d4

Pirate Ninja or ...

Steampunk Cowboys vs steampunk bikers

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I just asked ChatGPT on Bing for 3 fantasy adventure ideas.

Here are three possible fantasy adventure ideas:

• The Lost Library of Tharion: The party is hired by a scholar to find and explore the ruins of an ancient library that was once the center of arcane knowledge in the world. The library is hidden in a remote and dangerous region, guarded by traps, puzzles, and secrets. The party will have to contend with rival explorers, ancient guardians, and a dark force that lurks in the depths of the library.
• The Curse of the Crimson Crown: The party is invited to the coronation of a young king who has inherited a troubled kingdom. However, they soon discover that the king is under a curse that causes him to slowly transform into a bloodthirsty tyrant. The party will have to find the source of the curse and break it before the king becomes a monster and plunges the kingdom into chaos.
• The Voyage of the Starfall: The party is part of a crew of adventurers who board a legendary ship that can sail across the sky and the stars. The ship is on a quest to find a mythical land beyond the edge of the world, where wonders and dangers await. The party will have to face pirates, storms, monsters, and other perils on their journey to the unknown.

Received message. Here are three possible fantasy adventure ideas: - The Lost Library of Tharion: The party is hired by a scholar to find and explore the ruins of an ancient library that was once the center of arcane knowledge in the world. The library is hidden in a remote and dangerous region, guarded by traps, puzzles, and secrets. The party will have to contend with rival explorers, ancient guardians, and a dark force that lurks in the depths of the library. - The Curse of the Crimson Crown: The party is invited to the coronation of a young king who has inherited a troubled kingdom. However, they soon discover that the king is under a curse that causes him to slowly transform into a bloodthirsty tyrant. The party will have to find the source of the curse and break it before the king becomes a monster and plunges the kingdom into chaos. - The Voyage of the Starfall: The party is part of a crew of adventurers who board a legendary ship that can sail across the sky and the stars. The ship is on a quest to find a mythical land beyond the edge of the world, where wonders and dangers await. The party will have to face pirates, storms, monsters, and other perils on their journey to the unknown.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Isn't Curse of the Crimson Crown a Pathfinder AP?

 

[Aldarc]

Is there a good Cypher community out there on the internet that I should connect with as a newbie?

There's at least Cypher Unlimited Discord I've heard good things about. For anything else, I kinda hate to do this, but @Aldarc knows the community better than I do--I'm not much of a joiner, alas.

I have mixed opinions about the Cypher Unlimited podcast crew, but that's mostly because I find their YouTube discussions of the Cypher System to be a bit like one-dimensional cheerleading of all MCG products: "Isn't the Cypher System the greatest thing ever?!" However, the actual Discord server is pretty good,* at least once you navigate through the inevitable "the Cypher Sytem can do everything!" and "the Cypher System has no known weaknesses!" comments to reach more practical advice. I'm still a member, but I haven't been on there in a while.

* Channeling my inner "old man" for a second: I miss the Numenera/Cypher System Google+ community.

 

[aramis erak]

I've been asked to run a Cypher game for my dad, who is on a big streamlined RPG kick. After we play through the intro adventure in the Cypher intro rulebook, he wants me to make up another.

"Here's the best thing: It can be about anything!"

Ugh. You can tell he doesn't do a lot of creative works. Having no restrictions is kind of overwhelming. Not only do I have to think of an adventure, I have to first start with genre, game world elements, etc.

So, you were in this situation, how would you do it?

Pick one of the sample cyphers, possibly randomly, and go from there.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Isn't Curse of the Crimson Crown a Pathfinder AP?

I have no idea, to be honest, I just asked and that was in the answer.
Just looked it up and the Pathfinder AP is called the Curse of the Crimson Throne and the plot is suspiciously similar but with gender swap.

 

[John Dallman]

So, you were in this situation, how would you do it?

Pick three random books off the fiction shelves and mash them together. You can't take much detail from them, but the collision of their broad themes should provide ideas.

 

[Haiku Elvis]

Ninjas have kidnapped the president. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the president?

Only if it means fighting them on the top of moving vehicals in a vest.